The junior doctor contract 2 years on: one trust's experience of exception reporting

The new junior doctor contract allows trainees to exception report when they breach safe working hours. After a full year of foundation year 1 rotations, analysis from a large NHS trust in London showed that exception reporting works to highlight rota and working issues. It is unsurprising that trainees are busy but simple things such as competent infrastructure and senior support could go a long way to improving working conditions. In addition, results from a local survey suggest that trainees think the new contract is less safe for both doctors and patients, with inflexibility of rota patterns having a significant impact on the ability to take annual and study leave. A drive to modernise the way health care is delivered in hospitals is needed as a shortage of doctors will only worsen the situation.